More Potential Victims of Abuse at Penn State

The eight children who former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is alleged to have abused over a 15 year period may not be his only victims. Pennsylvania police said that have been “very busy” receiving phone calls about more potential victims of sexual abuse by Sandusky on Thursday.

Attorney General Linda Kelly gave out the phone numbers for the district attorney’s office and for the state police at a press conference earlier this week. She appears to be laying the “broad parameters of a civil suit” that is certainly troubling for Penn State University. Sexual abuse victims can potentially charge that the university had “ample warning” about Sandusky yet did little or nothing about him and even provided “the means” for him to “perpetuate these acts,” says Matt Casey, name partner of the Philadelphia plaintiffs firm of Ross Feller Casey L.L.P.. Penn State knew that a “dangerous condition existed on its premises,” but did not takes steps to prevent it. Other lawyers also described Penn State’s liability as serious:

“I think they are liable. They may not be liable if this activity occurred outside the confines of the university premises, but from what I understand, he [Sandusky] was given wide access to a lot of facilities,” said Sol Weiss, a partner in the prominent Center City [Philadelphia] plaintiffs firm Anapol Schwartz.

“It is a big exposure,” Weiss said.

Weiss, whose firm has filed a class action on behalf of youths illegally sentenced in the Luzerne County judicial scandal, likened Penn State’s legal liability to that of the Roman Catholic Church, which has been slammed with huge verdicts and criminal prosecutions for failing to root out sexual abuse by priests.

Penn State’s exposure could be in the millions of dollars. The abuse is alleged to have occurred at Sandusky’s State College home, as well as in university facilities and on college football trips. San Antonio police are also investigating reports of Sandusky molesting a boy there in 1998, during a team trip to the city.

Two university officials, athletic director Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, university vice president for finance and business, have been charged with failure to report the abuses — multiple reports of sexual misbehavior — and with lying to a grand jury. They have stepped down from their positions at the university.

Wednesday saw the Board of Trustees firing legendary football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier. Both had been informed about “alarming information” on at least one occasion.

Paterno has not been charged with any crimes and is described as a cooperating witness. He has reportedly been in contact with a prominent Washington criminal defense lawyer, J. Sedgwick Sollers, who once represented President George H.W. Bush in the Iran-Contra affair. Paterno has not yet retained a lawyer or met Sollers but will likely face civil lawsuits by Sandusky’s alleged victims and their families.

174 comments

CNN is reporting this child abuse goes back 20 years and was covered up by everybody involved.
The mother of the first accuser was on TV and she talked to the principal and said three times
to call the police. The principal refused. More victims are coming forward.

And Jane, when she is not screwing someone, loves to get her rocks off hating Catholics and other religious people. Jane, do you also hate Buddhists, Jains, Hindus, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Sufism, Sikhs, Druze, etc. etc.? If so, you would be just like Muslim extremists.

Here come the Catholics having mercy for these poor "sinners". "God" will punish them,
won't he? Later though, not now, cause they didn't commit a crime, they just "sinned". Aaaaww, we don't have the whole story. Pooor pedophile. I will definitely check out
"Men's Health" and that will tell me what? That men have to drop a load often and it doesn't matter where?

As both a childhood rape survivor and a Penn State Alumna, this story brings double heartache to me. What we need to remember is that although this looks grim, we don't have the entire story yet, and may never have it. My hope of hopes is that despite what happens in the courts, or in the court of public opinion, these young men will seek help through therapy to start the healing process. Believe me, they have a long, long and difficult road ahead.

As for those who supposedly "knew"--I hope we could all have a bit of humility and compassion before we point fingers or worse. There's a great Men's Health Magazine article that helps give some perspective

As for bashing anyone, Christian, Muslim, anybody..... forget it and try to move toward a solution instead of blame............................... Decent people do not abuse others..... do not claim others are 'less than' and do not ignore others human rights.... on their own or in God's name.... PERIOD.

Do not call for violence toward anyone but rather healing for all..... it helps to pray for blessings and not trouble.

I really don't know which news is worse. The Catholic Church abuse cover up or Penn State's cover up and the police who did nothing when they were advised of what was going on. It's always about money and never about helping the victims. I do hope those responsible for these terrible acts are punished to the fullest extent of the law along with the people who did NOTHING to stop it. And, I hope the victims receive compensation for their pain and suffering.

What if Sandusky is actually innocent of screwing young boys? It is conceivable. However, he would still be guilty of INCREDIBLY bad judgement and unacceptable intimacy (the showers) with young boys. I just can't get my head around the thought that taking a shower with a young boy could be acceptable. Even my own son will not allow me to be naked in front of him, even if all I am doing is walking from one room to the other or getting my pants on. No, showers with youngsters are not acceptable. Bathing a baby is acceptable.